This audio walking tour will help you explore the downtown area in Walsenburg, Colorado, in Huerfano County.
Walsenburg was once a booming coal mining community. In fact, the city gets its name from Fred Walsen, who opened the first coal mine in the region. Those early mines were little more than underground tunnels, but in 1876 the railroad came to town, and the coal mining boom was soon in full swing. Coal mining made many men rich, but it was dangerous and back-breaking work. Men worked long shifts in the damp underground mines, often crawling or hunched over for hours on end.
On this tour, you'll hear how immigrants came through Ellis Island and were enticed to go onto Walsenburg with promises of finding a prosperous and good life there. Unfortunately, that was not often the case, and you'll also hear about mining strikes that turned violent as labor organizers clashed with the mine owners. As you explore Walsenburg on this tour, you'll learn about the men and women who were instrumental in the city's history, and you'll see a representation of the architecture that gives this place its unique aesthetic.
This tour features the Museum of Friends, Miner’s Plaza, Union Depot, Huerfano County Courthouse, and other sites and stories of Walsenburg.
Tour Sponsors This tour is presented by the Huerfano County Tourism Board and was paid for in part by a History Colorado - State Historical Fund grant. To learn more about this region, visit
http://spanishpeakscountry.com.
Find More Tours Near You If you enjoy this tour, check out all four audio tours presented by Huerfano County Tourism Board:
Highway of Legends,
Historic Downtown Walsenburg,
Walk Cuchara, and
Historic La Veta.
Location: Colorado
Travel Type: Walking
Tour Duration: 45 minutes
Language:
